CONGRESSMAN PERLMUTTER: Is Your Integrity Only Worth $1000?

Last week we were the first to report the striking difference between Congressman Ed Perlmutter's tone in his 2006 campaign ad about online predators, and how he has dealt with an online predator of his own party. We noted that the 2006 campaign ad was no longer online, but thanks to the National Republican Congressional Committee, that ad is now available for the public's viewing.

Perlmutter sought to define himself as tough on crime and a protector of the innocent during his first Congressional campaign in 2006, but his recent actions are alarmingly different, calling into question his integrity on the issue. Even after it came out that Congressman Weiner had engaged in private online conversations initiated by him with an underage girl, Perlmutter refuses to return the $1000 he has received from Weiner. On top of the other women who have come forward to expose Weiner’s sick and disturbed behavior, it adds up to an image of a man most politicians would not want to be associated with. But not Congressman Perlmutter it seems.

Based on Allison Sherry’s post on The Spot over the weekend on the $1000 donation Weiner gave to Perlmutter, it appears Perlmutter is refusing to donate the money to charity:

Perlmutter’s campaign spokeswoman Julie DeWoody said their money was “spent a very long time ago,” and they have no plans to give it back.

Other Democrats, like Betty Sutton of Ohio, also received $1000 from Weiner but have donated the money to charity. Congresswoman Betty Sutton made no excuse about the money already being spent. She just did the right thing and got rid of the tainted cash. Former Democrat State Representative, Karen Middleton, even Tweeted over the weekend a suggestion for where returned Weiner money could be donated.

The point of donating the money to charity is to send a signal to Congressman Weiner that he has lost Perlmutter’s support and needs to go. It sends a very clear signal that not even Weiner’s money is welcome around the Congressman. Unfortunately, Perlmutter has shown a complete lack of spine when it comes to doing what his campaigns ads say he would do on the issue.

Even Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has demanded Weiner resign. So has Democrat National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Allyson Schwartz. And yet Perlmutter remains silent, other than to voice tepid support for an ethics investigation that by all accounts wouldn’t even conclude in anything close to the near future due to a backlog of prior cases.

We at the Peak have to wonder: is Congressman Perlmutter’s integrity only worth $1000?